Record Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt were held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by Iran in a World Cup group match on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The Pharaohs came into the game with their slot in the Round of 32 already confirmed, and for Iran, a point may still be enough to qualify for the knockout stage.
The Asians thought they had snatched a 93rd-minute winner, but the late goal scored by Shoja Khalilzadeh was cancelled after a VAR assessment.
Goals
Iran had fallen to an early setback when Mahmoud Sabre’s fifth-minute strike put the Pharaohs ahead. Later, Iran won a penalty when Mohamed Abdelmonem brought down Mehdi Taremi in the penalty area. The Iranian captain took the penalty conversion duty, but Egypt’s keeper Mostafa Shobeir dived the right way and made the save.
Iran kept fighting and in the 14th minute scored the equaliser when Ramin Rezaeian drilled in from a tight angle after Shobeir had kept out Milad Mohammadi’s shot.
The Pharaohs had to face their rivals without their key star, Mohamed Salah, who went off just before the hour.
Dramatic end
In stoppage time, Iran thought they had scored a winning goal as Egyptian keeper Shobeir made a mess of a clearance, which gave Khalilzadeh a chance to turn the ball in.
However, after a VAR check, the goal was ruled out, as part of Khalilzadeh’s boot was in an offside position in the build-up.
The Asian titans now face an anxious wait to know if their three points will be enough to claim a spot in the next round.
